A Fractured Reality
by Albertson
Summary: Captain Albert and Major Monogram journey into the 2nd dimension to find a long lost Mewman artifact, a wand that corrupts anyone who wields it. Unfortunately, it has gotten into 2D Doofenshmirtz's hands, so wrenching it from his grasp will be harder than anticipated.
1. Reclamation

**Reclamation**

For the Mewman people, life was fraught with hardship. With the war efforts, the current reigning monarch, a prince called Lunaro, ordered taxes to be raised, every available man and strong lad to bear arms and declared martial law. It all started when he got his hands on that new spellbook and wand. At first, he performed miracles with it, feeding the poor and re-homing the displaced that had resulted from a string of natural disasters. Over time, however, his priorities changed. The reasons why were unclear, but rumours had begun to spread that the magical objects that had once empowered him to heal his kingdom were slowly starting to corrupt him.

As the days went by, Lunaro became increasingly obsessed with power, and keeping it all for himself, seeing himself as supreme ruler of Mewni. He even changed his name to Jack to further cement the idea that he had done away with his 'weaker self'. And so, he waged war with the various monster species, many of which were vastly ill-equipped to oppose him. They made great slave labour, but many monsters refused to simply bow down and accept defeat. The majority that remained turned to one monster kingdom for help, the realm of Septarsis, home of a monster species some considered invincible, with good reason. Septarians had the natural ability to recover from even the most grievous of injuries, regenerating entire limbs at will and their physical strength was un-matched. For the most part, they were quite peaceful, content only to watch. But when word reached their ears of an impending attack, they took up arms in defence of their homes.

The war council of Septarsis was in a meeting, discussing their available options.

"Is this intelligence accurate? Has the Mewman leadership really found a way to disable our healing capabilities?" one councillor asked.

"We have an inside source that says the reigning prince has developed a spell that can do exactly that" another one confirmed.

"This is all speculation. We don't know for certain. Who is this source?" the first councillor inquired.

"Someone who wants to see this war end as much as you do" came a voice from inside that no-one had heard before. Just then, a small figure in a robe appeared on the centre of the table. He looked like a genie, but no-one could tell.

"Just who are you supposed to be?" a third councillor probed.

"My name is Glossaryck. I keep order in the universe" Glossaryck introduced.

"Not doing a very good job of that, are you?" the lead councillor mocked.

"The Mewmans don't want this attack any more than you do. I came here to ask for your patience while we settle the matter of our wayward prince internally" Glossaryck pleaded.

"If the Mewmans never wanted this war to begin with, why didn't they do something sooner?" the lead councillor interrogated.

"These plans take time. Patience never was your strong suit, was it, King Seth?" Glossaryck countered. Seth mulled things over with his war council. While he was eager for blood, he had to think about his people. If the possibility existed, no matter how remote, that the Mewman prince developed a spell capable of killing his people, he had to save as many Septarians as he could. If that meant waiting, so be it, but he wouldn't sit by and do nothing but hope the problem goes away. He came to a decision.

"You have until tomorrow morning to unseat your prince. Fail to do so, and it will be war" Seth reasoned.

"Your terms are accepted, Your Highness" Glossaryck conceded and left for the Mewman castle, where the next phase of his plan would take place. He reunited with his Mewman allies to discuss what to do next.

"How did it go?" Glossaryck's Mewman co-conspirator, Thoral, asked.

"I have managed to convince King Seth to hold off attacking us, but he will only wait so long before he takes action on his own" Glossaryck informed.

"Then we must do this now, or not at all" Thoral's counterpart, Layi, responded.

"Exactly. You all know your parts. Now go, your prince is expecting you" Glossaryck ushered, and they all split up. At the Royal War Council, Prince Jack's loyal advisors were briefing him on the preparations for the attack on Septarsis.

"Even if we attack the lizards, their regeneration abilities make any attack infeasible" Thoral briefed.

"I wouldn't worry about that. My old friend has given me the means to put their 'super-healing' on hold. We should have no trouble bringing the lizards into line" Jack informed. He gripped his wand tightly as he said this. If the entity was true to his word, Mewni would soon be all his. He had found the spell in the Book of Avalon, which was a gift, along with his wand, from the creature.

"After you disable their healing, we should surround them on all sides. That way, we have the element of surprise" Layi added.

"I have men waiting for word. Come the morning, I will cast the spell on all of Septarsis" Jack said.

"Even without their healing, Septarians are still formidable fighters behind their peaceful nature. Seth, in particular, will defend his home until the end. He will not surrender without a fight" Thoral warned.

"Then a fight there will be" Jack concluded.

"Forgive me, but I have to ask. This entity you got the wand and book from. Do you really know anything about him?" Layi inquired. Jack paused at this. Despite the generous gifts he received and what he did with them, he had to admit that he still did not know anything about his benefactor. Still, a deal was a deal.

"All I know is he threw me a bone. One day, he will collect on that debt, and I intend to be ready when he does. I owe him that much" Jack answered. This answer only un-nerved Layi even more and impressed upon her the urgency of what she and Thoral were about to do. There was no more hesitation, this had to be done. Layi wished Prince Jack goodnight and went to her chambers. Once Jack retired to his chambers, he put the wand down on his bedside cabinet and read more of the Book of Avalon, memorising the incantation for the spell one last time before drifting off to sleep.

Elsewhere in the castle, Thoral, Layi and Glossaryck were ready to enact their plan. It took weeks of observing and memorising Jack's daily routine, but at last, his sleep patterns and the guards' patrol patterns left a gap wide enough to slip through un-noticed. Thoral slipped through to Jack's chamber door, gradually edged it open and creeped through. There, he saw the wand, sitting there on the bedside cabinet, along with the Book of Avalon. He took both items and got out of there as fast as he came in. Once Thoral snuck out of the castle, Layi and Glossaryck were there waiting for him.

"What kept you?" Layi whispered.

"Sorry, just barely got out before shift change. Please, make it quick, though. I think one of the guards caught a glimpse of me" Thoral explained in a hushed tone. Layi had conjured an interdimensional portal, a gift only a handful of Mewmans possessed and took the Book to a dimension she thought no-one would think to look. From her recon, she found out that the dimension was called Earth. It had a hierarchal structure similar to Mewni, but she would place the Book on an island far off all of the planet's mainland continents and entrust it in the care of the natives. Layi had just gone through to the other side when the wand reacted on its own. It fired a single beam into the window of Jaack's chambers. It had also conjured a portal right in front of it, to a dimension neither Thoral nor Glossaryck recognised. The wand had vanished to the other side and the portal closed.

"That was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Now for the next phase" Glossaryck mused and gave a signal for the revolution to begin. Glossaryck had been fanning the flames of revolt from the shadows for some time and, now that the wand and book were gone, now was the time. The castle guards were over-run, not that they put up much of a fight to begin with. Turns out the Mewman military were not fond of attacking invincible enemies either, considered it a suicide mission.

Meanwhile, in Jack's chambers, he was having a most unusual dream. He was in the forward camp, preparing for the final assault, when all of a sudden, everyone bar Jack disappeared. When he went outside to investigate, up in the sky, was him, the entity,though these days, Jack called him by the name he discovered during his research, the one he dare not utter in the waking world.

"Bill Cipher. What do you want? Everything's going as planned. I'll settle whatever debt you want" Jack greeted.

"Yeah, about that. There's been a change of plan. See, your loyal advisors aren't as loyal as you thought they were. They took your things while you were here with me and seized control of your kingdom. Talk about bad leadership" Bill taunted. Jack did not know what to make of this revelation. Suddenly, all his hopes for a united Mewni under his rule were up in flames.

"I can make this right. I just need another book and wand. Give me another chance, please!" Jack begged.

"I told you when I gave you those that I could only make one of each. Now you've gone and lost them a price must be paid. How does being my plaything in the Nightmare Realm sound?" Bill replied.

"What?! No, please. Anything but that!" Jack exclaimed, but Bill was not having it. Jack awoke to find the sound of a revolt in his castle, but that was the least of his problems. A portal leading to the Nightmare Realm had opened and Jack was pulled through, never to be seen again. The revolters just missed their leader by seconds and within minutes of the successful coup, a truce was formally called between Mewmans and monsters. King Seth, surprised at this outcome, was true to his word and withdrew his troops from the front to resume a peaceful stance.

"You can come out of the shadows now, my princess. All has been dealt with" Glossaryck assured, and a girl just about Jack's age emerged from the darkness. She seemed slightly younger than the prince, but the reason why she wore a dark coat became obvious immediately. Thoral and Layi recognised her as the prince's younger sister, Sunflare. With Jack gone, she was now Queen of Mewni.

"Now that the war is over, I will focus on fixing what my wayward brother has broken, but I will need help" Sunflare announced.

"I have the perfect solution, my liege" Glossaryck said and he did some magic to conjure up four beings. One took the form of a bipedal goat. "This one will focus on healing the sick and injured left behind in your brother's wake and helping the Mewman people to understand the impermeance of existence. He will be called Lekmet" Glossaryck explained. Lekmet made the noise of a goat in acknowledgement.

"Pleasure" Sunflare replied. Another form appeared, this time, a fire pixie. She was able to produce a pair of scissors from a flame she had conjured and bequeathed them to Sunflare.

"This is Hekapoo. She will enable all Mewmans to travel across the dimensions of the multiverse. But, she will bar access to the dimension where Layi has hidden the book to all but the royal family" Glossaryck outlined.

"Should I also search for the wand as well? Don't want anyone finding that" Hekapoo inquired.

"Leave nothing to chance. Find that wand and return it here" Sunflare ordered and Hekapoo left to carry out her search. Glossaryck then conjured what seemed like a nebulous cloud with a skull at the centre.

"This one is called Omnitraxus Prime. His role will be to maintain and safeguard the multiverse. Should the wand be found, he will contain it within a pocket dimension, since we cannot destroy it ourselves" Glossaryck summarised.

"With the wielder vanishing off the face of Mewni, it's all we can do" Omnitraxus explained.

"That's fine. What about the last of your creations?" Sunflare inquired.

"Ah, yes. That one will serve the group, which I call the Magic High Commission, as the muscle of the team on Mewni, sealing away any and all evils, both here and in other dimensions. Behold" Glossaryck answered, and he conjured up a being that looked like a walking, talking crystal-headed being with one eye and snakes for hands.

"If that brother of yours comes back here again" Rhombulus ranted.

"Enough, Rhombulus. I doubt he's coming back" Glossaryck dismissed.

"You've done splendidly, Glossaryck. I look forward to working with your High Commission in the days to come" Sunflare complimented.

"One last thing, Your Highness. I wanted to give you this" Glossaryck added and he produced a wand, not an evil-looking wand, like the one Jack had, but a gentler, regal wand. "Take care of it. I can only make one" Glossaryck instructed.

"I will. Thank you. I like the symbol on it, too" Sunflare assured. The symbol on the wand was in the form of a butterfly, the Mewman symbol of healing and renewal.

"I hope so, because every royal lineage needs a symbolic name, and I thought that 'Butterfly' would make a fitting family name for the new line" Glossaryck reasoned.

"So be it. From this day forth, I shall hereby be known as Queen Sunflare Butterfly" Sunflare declared. She said as much during her coronation, starting a new royal line of Mewni, the Butterfly family.

1000 years later

Captain Albert, Carl and Major Monogram were in the vault of Excalibur HQ, prepping the interdimensional transport device Albert got from Phineas to take them to the dimension that sent the distress call. Albert had read the reports he got from Carl about the 2nd dimension Doofenshmirtz's incursion into this world, but they lacked any specifics. From what he gathered, it was formally a dystopian future that had, until recently, seen a brutal dictator in power. From the sounds of the distress call originating from the 2nd dimension, it seems as if that same dictator is making a bid to reclaim his throne.

"Now remember, this is just a recon mission. We are only going to determine whether or not this alternate Doofenshmirtz really has gotten a hold of Bill's wand. If we can confirm that, I will have no trouble convincing Major Smith to send a detachment to retrieve the wand" Albert reminded.

"Retrieve it, not destroy it?" Major Monogram asked.

"Wands can only be truly destroyed by their wielders, and I don't see that maniac willingly destroying the wand" Albert answered.

"All that aside, how do you plan to solve the issue of returning here without going through all those other dimensions first?" Carl inquired.

"Easy, this device comes with a quantum tunnel generator. Think of it as a shortcut to this realm, and a tether rope keeping us attached to it" Albert explained.

"That defies all known laws of quantum physics" Carl stated.

"It was designed by Bill, after all. Who knows how much evil genius is inside his mind" Albert said.

"While I'm gone, you're in charge of O.W.C.A. Carl. Try to keep the agency in one piece" Monogram instructed.

"Same to you, Kilstone" Albert added. The device was switched on, and Albert and Monogram ventured forth. When they arrived on the other side of the portal, things were already looking bleak.

"This is giving me serious Cipher War flashbacks" Major Monogram remarked. It was easy to come to this conclusion, since the area looked ruined and devoid of hope.

"If you ever wanted to know what Wierdmageddon was like in its early stages, this was it" Albert added. There was no time to discuss their surroundings in more detail, as Monogram heard something in the distance. After finding a good hiding spot, Albert and Monogram observed a familiar sight. It was Isabella, though obviously not the one they know. She, along with her many female companions were this dimension's version of the Fireside Girls. They seemed to be taking cover a lot, as it was hard to keep sight of them. Still, Albert made out that they came from the sewers and ventured out for some reason or other.

"Think we should follow them?" Albert asked.

"Can't see any other potential leads around here" Monogram agreed, and they followed them, keeping a short distance so as not to get spotted. They made it back down the sewers when they were pounced on by the very girls they were following. In seconds, the two men found themselves tied up and brought to what looked like a small resistance cell. Once they stopped, Isabella turned to them.

"So, whatcha doin' here?" Isabella probed in a menacing tone.

"We mean you no harm. We're just on a recon mission" Albert explained.

"What is going on here?" came a voice both of them were familiar with. Soon enough, Candace emerged from the shadows. "Untie these two men now" Candace ordered.

"But boss, they followed us down here. They could be compromised" Isabella protested.

"Let me check" Candace said, and she looked deep into the eyes of Albert and Monogram. "They're clean, let them go" Candace concluded. The Firestorm Girls untied Albert and Monogram. "Sorry about that. Ever since this all went down, the Firestorm Girls have been a little over-zealous when it comes to security" Candace apologised.

"If I were in their position, I would've done the same" Albert assured.

"You were the one that sent the distress call" Monogram realised.

"Yes, we had hoped to reach out to the other dimension Phineas and Ferb, but I doubt even they can help with all this craziness" Candace confirmed.

"Can you fill us in on what's been happening?" Albert probed.

"Sit yourselves down, gentlemen. I hope you like long stories" Candace gestured.

In his castle, Doofenshmirtz was admiring his new find. During his exile, he had never dreamed he would find an artefact of great power. Yet, here it was, in his possession, what he deemed to be power incarnate. He had successfully retaken his Tri-State Area, but his ambitions stretched further than that. Once he had control of this world, he would go after the other one. His wife, Charlene, entered the room.

"I have to admit, I had my doubts when you dug that thing up, but now I can see the future, and it has Doofenshmirtz written all over it" Charlene observed.

"Have we made any progress with the dimensional portal?" Doofenshmirtz asked.

"Work has stalled somewhat. It seems the resistance has been busy liberating our prisoners and sabotaging our work" Charlene answered.

"Double the shifts and make an example of any resistance fighter we capture, no matter their rank. Make them see that I am not to be trifled with" Doofenshmirtz instructed.

"I'll see to it" Charlene acknowledged, and she left the room to carry out the instructions. Heinz and Charlene's daughter, Vanessa, was watching from the corner. Since her dad had reclaimed his throne, she had been growing increasingly worried about her parents. Charlene wasn't as happy as she used to be, and she had also noticed that her dad's behaviour was growing erratic by the day. At times, he would often talk to his new wand and, on occasion, she swore that he was changing physically as well, looking more and more pale as time went by. More times than one, she contemplated asking the resistance for help, but that would mean betraying her family. Could she really go that far?

Author's note: OK, I have been away a good long while, haven't I? Between Christmas and birthday celebrations, some issues with finding employment and finishing Kingdom Hearts 3 without having it spoilt for me, I have had no time to come up with a plot for this story. Even its title I had to outsource to another party. But I wanted to start this story before I started some locum work I've come into, so here you are. Hope you enjoy, because I have zero idea where this is going. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing, Phineas and Ferb belong to Dan and Swampy, SVTFOE belongs to Daron Nefcy, Gravity Falls belongs to Alex Hirsch, and Disney owns them all. Enjoy. Title for this story was Galaxina-the-Seedrian's idea.


	2. Up to speed

**Up to speed**

Candace had led Albert and Monogram to a briefing room in the resistance HQ, where she told the pair that the full story behind Doofenshmirtz's reclamation of power would be told. Before that, however, she left to tell her dimension's Monogram and Carl that the help they requested had arrived. The first dimension Monogram, however, had questions of his own.

"When do we call in the back-up? I think some armed intervention would be warranted right about now." Monogram-1 wondered.

"I'm considering it, but I'd like to get visual confirmation of the wand's presence first. No sense rushing in blindly when more detailed recon could get this mission accomplished faster and with minimal losses" Albert detailed.

"Makes sense, I suppose, but how are we going to accomplish that?" Monogram-1 asked.

"I'm still working on that bit" Albert answered. Just then, Candace came in, accompanied by the second dimension Monogram and Carl.

"You're a little late, Doofenshmirtz has already re-conquered the Tri-State Area" Carl-2 observed.

"What took you so long?" Monogram-2 inquired, impatiently.

"Sorry, it took a while to decipher the S.O.S and by the time we got here, things couldn't have gotten much worse" Albert answered.

"Anyway, you're probably wondering how this all started" Monogram-2 said, hoping to steer the conversation away from potential arguing.

"Yes, we were wondering that ourselves. Last I remember, you had your Doofenshmirtz in custody" Monogram-1 responded.

"Well, he had escaped with the help of his seemingly ex-wife Charlene. We managed to get all our O.W.C.A. agents back, minus the panda, but he, along with his family, were unable to be recaptured" Monogram-2 explained.

"After their escape, the resistance refocused on the rebuilding efforts, and things slowly came back to a time before the first takeover" Carl-2 recollected.

Flashback begins

It had been 4 months since Doofenshmirtz and his family were forced into exile by the resistance. Life was a lot better for the citizens of the Tri-State Area. Many had helped the resistance piece together what their little corner of the world should look like and how things worked before the takeover. The Tri-State Area even had a mayor, now, instead of a ruthless dictator, and the concept of democracy was something everyone welcomed with open arms

"I promise, as mayor, I will make apprehending the war criminal Doofenshmirtz our highest priority. I will assist our resistance in rebuilding this land, so that we no longer fear the brutal fist of oppression" Mayor Melanie announced in her inauguration speech. She came through on her word. Days later, she announced a nationwide manhunt for the Doofenshmirtz family. When other world leaders had found out, they too pledged their assistance. Soon enough, Doofenshmirtz was world enemy number one.

On a smaller scale, Phineas and Ferb were fully embracing the concept of 'carpe diem' taught to them by their dimensional counterparts. Every day, they were planning some sort of activity. While not as inventive as the other set of brothers, Phineas and Ferb were just as committed to not being bored. While T.V. broadcasts had returned to a state before the take-over, the brothers were not content with watching that box all day. Today, Phineas, Ferb and their friends were at the beach, something that they learned from their other dimension counterparts was a common place to go in the summer. The game was one that their parents called 'beach volleyball', a game that required you to wear swimsuits and bounce a ball over a net with your hands. Phineas was struggling at the game, not because he wasn't any good, but because he kept getting distracted. Whenever he saw Isabella, he started to get a little, as Candace would call it, flushed.

"Come on, Phineas, get your head in the game. The Firestorm Girls are slaughtering us!" Buford-2 coached. They hadn't been called the Firestorm Girls since the Doofenshmirtz family went into exile, but Buford still called them that, out of misguided affection.

"Isn't it the taking part that counts? Besides, we're all having a great time" Phineas-2 reasoned.

"Really, Phineas, you have spent half the time we have been here staring at Isabella. I doubt you even know what the score is" Baljeet-2 countered. Come to think of it, Phineas really did forget what the score was. Did Isabella distract him that much?

"Seriously, brother, just go over there and talk to her when the game is over. It's not that hard" Ferb-2 advised.

"But what would I say?" Phineas-2 asked.

"How about 'hi, want to have dinner together or go see a movie sometime?' We're not being savagely oppressed anymore, we can do these things now" Buford-2 answered.

"I guess. What would I have to lose, anyway" Phineas concluded.

Flashback ends

"Wow, the more things change, the more they stay the same" Albert remarked.

"I know, right. We've been monitoring our Phineas and Isabella's interactions for quite some time. Seriously, is he blind?" Monogram-1 inquired.

"What do you mean?" Candace-2 probed.

"The Isabella of our dimension has been trying to get her Phineas to notice her for quite some time. To find out that here it's the reverse is a bit jarring" Albert clarified.

"Well, here it worked. We got to talking and we went out on our first date the next day" Isabella-2 explained.

Flashback begins

Phineas could not believe his luck. When he finally plucked up the courage to ask Isabella out on a date, she fully embraced him like he was her favourite stuffed toy. The hard part was deciding where to go for this date. Everything seemed new to them, as they had known no other life than one under Doofenshmirtz's rule, and now he was gone, the options were limitless. After some discussion, they decided on someplace small for their first date. Their parents had suggested something called a 'picnic' at the park, where you brought a basket full of small nibbles, some plastic cutlery and a blanket, took it to the top of a hill at the park and just sat, ate and talked.

"We found some old books and photos that suggested there was an organisation called the Fireside Girls prior to the take-over, and the girls and I were thinking about re-establishing it" Isabella-2 recounted her (hopefully) last ever resistance meeting.

"That sounds great. What did they do?" Phineas-2 responded.

"According to our research, pretty much everything from bee-keeping to auto repair. They awarded these things called patches to girls who accomplished these tasks" Isabella-2 explained.

"I'm sure whatever you come up with will be awesome" Phineas-2 complimented.

"Um..I also did some other research into dating behaviours before coming here" Isabella-2 added. Now Phineas looked curious. Usually, if any research was to be done, Baljeet would be the first to hit the books.

"What exactly did your research reveal?" Phineas-2 probed, a little nervously.

"Well, when the two people on the date are having an especially good time, they show their affection for one another in a…physical manner" Isabella summarised. Phineas was almost sweating now. "They tend to let their mouths touch. It's called kissing" Isabella-2 clarified.

"And you want to try this?" Phineas-2 inquired.

"Kinda. It sounds fun and I'm having a great time" Isabella-2 answered.

"I suppose it can't hurt" Phineas-2 reasoned. They took each other's hands and leaned closer. Just as their lips were about to touch for this 'kiss', the sky turned dark. Both took this as a sign to get indoors as it looked like it was going to rain. As they packed up and headed for shelter, they noticed that it was not raining, at all, which they both thought was odd. Then they saw what was happening in the city. In the distance, they saw Doofenshmirtz, returned from exile, with strange creatures at his beck and call. They looked like the stuff of nightmares and had people running for cover.

"People of the Tri-State Area, I am here to reclaim my throne. Bow down or be swept aside!" Doofenshmirtz-2 announced. Though the cyborg animal agents of O.W.C.A. put up a valiant fight, they were eventually overwhelmed and forced underground. Phineas and Isabella made a run for it, but it wasn't long before Doofenshmirtz caught up to them.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here. Phineas Flynn, and your little girlfriend, too" Doofenshmirtz-2 said menacingly. Phineas and Isabella tried to escape, but Doofenshmirtz's nightmare beasts had them surrounded. "Oh, don't worry, I won't hurt you, as long as you do something for me, that is" Doofenshmirtz-2 threatened.

"You're wasting your time. I'll never help you with anything!" Phineas-2 refused bravely.

"You're right, threatening you is a waste of time. What I should've said was I won't hurt your lady friend, should you assist me" Doofenshmirtz-2 countered. He then pointed what looked like a glowing stick at Isabella.

"That's your great weapon, a stick? I saw an oak tree in the park. Want to take some bark from that and use it as a shield?" Isabella-2 taunted, at which point Doofenshmirtz pointed the 'stick' into the sky and lightning struck the oak tree Isabella mentioned, setting it on fire. It was then that both Phineas and Isabella realised it was no ordinary stick.

"So, do we have a deal?" Doofenshmirtz-2 asked. Phineas was stuck. He couldn't help Doofenshmirtz, but he couldn't let Isabella get hurt, or worse, judging by what his latest weapon could do. In the end, there was only one option.

"Fine, I'll do it. Just leave Isabella alone" Phineas-2 replied.

"Good boy" Doofenshmirtz-2 praised, mockingly. He waved the stick and ropes appeared out of no-where to bind Phineas. Another wave saw a platform appear beneath their feet and carry them off to who-knows-where.

"Don't worry, Phineas. I'll get the others and save you" Isabella-2 vowed to herself, as she could only watch as Doofenshmirtz reclaimed his power.

Flashback ends

"I take it you know by now that stick is actually a wand, and it's probably the same wand we came here to retrieve" Albert assumed.

"What we don't know is where it came from or, if it was created, how Doofenshmirtz was able to make it" Candace-2 responded. Albert was growing increasingly concerned as the story ended.

"Let me clarify a few things. One, that wand was not created, rather, we think Doofenshmirtz found it here" Monogram-1 began.

"And two, it was created by one of, if not, the most powerful beings in the multiverse, one we've had real trouble getting to stay down, if you get my meaning" Albert added.

"Three, it was created in another dimension, whose rulers use magic to protect their dominion" Monogram-1 concluded.

"A known associate of mine uses a similar wand, for good instead of evil. That wand wielded by Doofenshmirtz has corrupting properties, although I doubt you saw much difference, considering he was already evil to begin with" Albert explained.

"We're getting side-tracked. We need to get visual confirmation of the wand's presence before we can call in the cavalry, which means getting into Doofenshmirtz's base of operations. Can you get us inside?" Monogram-1 probed.

"Since he was drafted to work on Doofenshmirtz's dimensional portal, our Phineas has been undermining his efforts by letting our saboteurs in through a back door he found. Whether or not that advantage will hold is unclear, but we can't let him finish it" Isabella-2 responded.

"We can go in with your next sabotage raid. Fate willing, we can rescue Phineas as well" Albert offered.

"OK, but I'm coming with you. No offence, but I still don't fully trust you" Candace-2 said bluntly.

"That's fine. In your position, I wouldn't trust me either" Albert agreed. Albert left to an adjoining room to talk to Kilstone via his communicator, specially built for interdimensional missions such as this. Kilstone picked up.

"Yes, sir?" Kilstone replied.

"Just checking in. It is increasingly likely that Bill's wand is here. Is the garrison on standby?" Albert asked.

"Waiting on word from Major Smith. Should I put him through?" Kilstone inquired.

"Not yet. I want to be absolutely certain before we involve the Major. I'm heading into Doofenshmirtz's base to see if the wand is here" Albert answered.

"Understood. We're dealing with some temporal anomalies on our end, but that is all" Kilstone briefed.

"What kind of temporal anomalies?" Albert quizzed.

"Nothing too extreme, just some arrivals from the future. Brick and Savannah are tracking them. Do you want to come back and take charge?" Kilstone probed. Albert thought about this. If these temporal anomalies Kilstone mentioned and the portal in this dimension were connected, he could investigate from his end and have all of Excalibur's resources at his beck and call. On the other hand, if they weren't, he would be abandoning his own mission for no justifiable reason. There was only one choice.

"No. Keep on those anomalies in the meantime. I'll report in if I need anything. Good hunting, Kilstone" Albert decided.

"Same to you" Kilstone replied and the call was terminated. Monogram-1 came to tell Albert that the transport was ready to take them on their own mission. Albert and Monogram-1, along with the saboteurs, got in and travelled to the mission start point.

In Doofenshmirtz's castle, Doofenshmirtz was grilling Phineas about the latest delays to his project. He had grown increasingly suspicious that Phineas was aiding resistance fighters in these sabotage efforts, but as much as he would like to blast Phineas and work on the device himself, Doofenshmirtz still needed the child.

"So, care to share the location of the back door you found in and out of my castle, or do I have to get rough?" Doofenshmirtz-2 threatened.

"Back door? That's ridiculous. If I had found a back door, I would've escaped by now" Phineas-2 lied. Doofenshmirtz was scanning Phineas with his wand and was unconvinced at his answer.

"You know, kid, this wand tells me things. Little whispers, mostly, but enough to tell me that something is amiss and right now, what it's telling me about you is not sounding too good" Doofenshmirtz-2 said menacingly.

"The wand talks? Can it do tricks, too?" Phineas-2 taunted, at that point Doofenshmirtz waved the wand again and the ropes holding Phineas wrapped tighter around him, almost suffocating him. The ropes eventually loosened and Phineas could breathe easy again.

"You're lucky I need you or we wouldn't be having this lovely conversation, although I'm starting to suspect you're not the Phineas I need for this" Doofenshmirtz reminded. He held the wand to Phineas' throat in an intimidating fashion, when he suddenly put it to his ear and acted like he was having a phone conversation. Vanessa, seeing this, was more convinced than ever that her father was going mad. Ever since he found that thing, he had been talking to it like an old friend. She had shared these feelings with her mother, who had similar concerns, that the wand meant more to Heinz than his own family did. Doofenshmirtz stopped his latest little chat with the wand.

"He's here. A little late, but he's on his way here nonetheless" Doofenshmirtz-2 remarked.

"Who's coming here?" Charlene-2 asked.

"An old nemesis of mine. Come for this, I can only guess" Doofenshmirtz-2 answered.

"Should I prepare defences?" Charlene-2 inquired.

"No. Let Albert and his little gang come in and have a look around. I'll greet them personally when they arrive" Doofenshmirtz resolved and left the room, leaving Phineas to get back to 'work'. Charlene left too, leaving Vanessa with Phineas.

"You know, I never really thanked you properly for showing me that back door, or for getting Ferb out of the Tri-State Area" Phineas-2 said gratefully.

"I just wish I could do more. I knew my dad was a head-case, but that wand is doing crazy things to him. The sooner the resistance steals it, the better" Vanessa-2 lamented.

"One thing at a time. If you can get him to spill the beans on the wand, then we can form a plan to counter-attack" Phineas-2 reasoned.

"Easier said than done, he barely talks to us anymore" Vanessa-2 observed.

"We can't keep stalling forever. One way or another, he's going to catch on" Phineas-2 realised.

"Don't worry about me, I know who's side I'm on when push comes to shove" Vanessa-2 assured. They both left, Phineas to the portal construction site and Vanessa to her room in the castle.

Author's note: With my new job I have even less free time to plan these chapters, let alone write them in a manner I deem constructive. If people say writers are their own worst critics, then they're onto something. If no-one else has said that, I'd like to be the first. Also, I'm planning the next story when I haven't even finished this one. Seriously, what is wrong with me? One final thing, you may notice the '-1' and '-2' by some characters' names during dialogue sections. Well, since we're in the second dimension and we are dealing with multiple counter-parts, I decided to implement that little feature to help the reader identify which dimensional variant is speaking at that time. I didn't do this for my own OCs as there is only one of them. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing, Phineas and Ferb belong to Dan and Swampy, SVTFOE belongs to Daron Nefcy, Gravity Falls belongs to Alex Hirsch and all of it belongs to Disney. Enjoy.


	3. No turning back

**No turning back**

Once at the mission start point, the Firestorm Girls set up a command centre from which they would co-ordinate with the squad to lay out the objectives. Candace, Albert, Monogram, Perry and the animal agents were in position and ready to begin. Before they started, Candace took this moment to go over the mission details with everyone.

"OK, one more time, we go in and split up. Perry and the agents will create a diversion, allowing us to infiltrate the castle, find Phineas, smash the machine and get out of dodge" Candace-2 briefed.

"What about the wand? You know, the entire reason we came here to begin with?" Monogram-1 asked.

"Grab it if you can, but no un-necessary heroics. If need be, we can come back with another plan to steal it once we've extracted Phineas and called in the cavalry" Albert responded.

"Good plan. This is a rescue mission, not a raid. We won't have long until Doofenshmirtz knows we're here. Let's move" Candace affirmed. The group split up to perform their assigned tasks. It did not take long for Perry and the other cyborg animal agents to create their diversion, drawing away any lingering nightmare creatures. Candace, Albert and Monogram were about halfway down the back passage when one of them noticed something odd.

"This seems a little too easy, don't you think? I would think a tyrannical ruler would have his lair more well-guarded" Monogram-1 observed.

"Don't jinx us just yet. Remember what's at stake here" Candace-2 rebutted. Albert, however, was on Monogram's side.

"I agree. From what we've heard of this dimension's Doofenshmirtz, he's not the kind to take chances like this" Albert replied.

"You think his new-found power is making him careless?" Candace-2 probed.

"No, I think the bit of Bill inside that wand is toying with us. Remember, this thing can change how a person thinks. It wouldn't surprise me if Doofenshmirtz had full-blown conversations with it" Albert explained.

"You seem like you know a fair bit about this wand" came a voice from up ahead. Out of the shadows came a figure Monogram recognised as Vanessa Doofenshmirtz. Candace jumped immediately onto the offensive, pinning her to the wall.

"Hey, calm down, will you? I'm here to help" Vanessa-2 assured.

"Likely story. If I remember right, you helped Doofenshmirtz and his wife escape when we last met" Candace-2 responded.

"Trust me, if I knew this would happen, I would've let you take him. I honestly thought being defeated twice would reform him. Obviously, I was mistaken" Vanessa-2 admitted.

"Why help us now. What could possibly make you betray your own family?" Candace-2 interrogated.

"Ever since my dad found that thing, he's been obsessed with it. Talking to it, taking it to bed with him, treating it like some historical relic. I just wanted us to be a proper, normal family. I realise you don't have reason to trust me, but I'm on your side. Who do you think told your brother about this back door?" Vanessa-2 outlined. Candace thought for a moment and decided to release Vanessa from her grip.

"Betray us in any way and I will hunt you down" Candace-2 stated.

"Fine. The portal and your brother are this way" Vanessa-2 directed and the group resumed their mission in earnest. Albert still had some lingering curiosities.

"Tell me, Vanessa, when and where did your father discover the wand?" Albert inquired.

"He found it about a month ago. Ever since my dad became the world's most wanted fugitive, we had been hiding outside of public view and off the grid" Vanessa-2 answered.

Flashback begins

The family Doofenshmirtz were hiding in the forests just outside of the Tri-State Area. They had set up camp in a cave and were going over their plan to lay low.

"Whatever we decide to do, we have to avoid any civilized areas. Your name and face are being broadcast all over the news. You'll be recognised immediately in populated areas" Charlene-2 explained.

"Not to mention all the search parties. If we don't keep moving, we're sure to be found" Vanessa-2 added. Doofenshmirtz was already well aware of both these facts and had already formulated a plan of his own. It was, even by his standards, pretty mad, but what other choice did he have?

"There is one thing we can do. I heard of this area of the woods that no man dares venture into, deep in the darkest depths of the forest. Local legends say all who venture in are driven mad by spirits that haunt the trees" Doofenshmirtz-2 clarified. Both Charlene and Vanessa scoffed at this idea.

"That's your solution? Myths and legends? I thought you were evil, not insane" Charlene-2 mocked.

"If either of you have any better ideas, I'd like to hear them!" Doofenshmirtz-2 retorted. Neither of them responded. The trio then decided to move to this dark area once night had settled and they could move under cover of darkness. When the night sky arrived, the family set off for the 'dark woods' as Doofenshmirtz liked to call them. Once they arrived, Vanessa immediately started hearing a voice in her head. An evil voice, not like her father, but something much more sinister. She didn't like this area at all.

"Dad, this place, it seems wrong. Maybe we should turn back. I'm getting the shivers, and not just because it's night-time" Vanessa-2 cautioned. Even Charlene, who had whole-heartedly supported her husband's ambitions, was having second thoughts.

"Don't you hear that voice, Heinz? This place is a whole new level of twisted" Charlene-2 agreed. But Doofenshmirtz was not listening. In fact, Vanessa noted, as soon as he arrived in the dark woods, he acted as if he was under some kind of trance, oblivious to the rest of the world, to his own family. He started walking towards another cave, much smaller than the one they had previously camped in. Vanessa and Charlene reluctantly followed. Once they reached the mouth of the cave and ventured deeper inside, they found an altar, along the walls stood shelves with scrolls and, at the center, a stick-like object. Vanessa examined one of the scrolls closely, looking for some clue as to her father's strange behaviour. She only needed to read one to get a general picture.

"Dark magic, those are the only words to describe what foul sorcery birthed such a cursed object. Ever since we found it, we have had visions of a future too ghastly to describe. Once great men turned to savages, vile, twisted mockeries of the justice they once stood for. The longer this object stays in human hands, the more we risk infighting, war and, I fear, extinction. It is with heavy heart that I have taken this abomination of God and have hidden it where none may find it. I fear that, as I have taken possession of this item, that I too may fall under its sway. I am resisting its dark pull with all my heart, as I look to Him to give me the strength, both morally and physically, to stay true to my ideals. As the days go on, my body becomes weaker as it is ravaged by an unknown plague which no known concoction can cure. I accept my end, knowing that no man shall ever again possess this embodiment of evil, and that He will welcome me into the gates of Heaven"

Vanessa finished reading and looked at a chair to see a slumped skeleton, presumably the holy man who wrote the scroll, sitting upon it.

"Dad, we should go back" Vanessa-2 urged, but again, Doofenshmirtz was unresponsive. He had his hand outstretched, ready to take the object resting atop the altar. Vanessa, and to some extent, Charlene, tried to stop him, but he had already taken the object for himself. As soon as he did, the voice inside Vanessa's head stopped speaking. Instead, Doofenshmirtz struggled with some form of energy coursing throughout his body. It was over the moment it began, and Doofenshmirtz regained himself.

"You OK, dear?" Charlene-2 asked.

"Never better" Doofenshmirtz-2 answered. Before anyone could get their bearings, however, footsteps could be heard from outside, along with the barking of search dogs.

"They found us! What do we do?" Vanessa-2 probed.

"Leave this to me" Doofenshmirtz-2 responded, with a more sinister tone than usual. He walked outside to greet their guests.

"FREEZE!" yelled the soldiers. The dogs, however, were cowering behind their masters.

"You should heed your canine friends' advice and turn back while you're still able" Doofenshmirtz-2 warned. He drew the stick, which caused the dogs to run in the other direction. This confused the soldiers, but they were determined to arrest the former tyrant, regardless of their dogs' inclination.

"I said freeze!" repeated the lead soldier. He inched closer to Doofenshmirtz, who waved the wand once, and the trees behind the soldiers seemingly came to life, extending their branches to ensnare the soldiers, hanging them upside down. Now they were scared. Another wave saw a platform emerge from under Doofenshmirtz's feet, raising him up to their level.

"W-what are you?" the lead soldier stammered.

"Your worst nightmare" Doofenshmirtz-2 replied. All that could be heard afterwards were the bone-chilling screams of the search party. Vanessa saw the whole thing and vowed to herself to get that wand away from her father, at any cost.

Flashback ends

"Dad had been practicing various spells on woodland creatures for about three weeks before coming back to the Tri-State Area in force, when he learned how to summon those things" Vanessa-2 concluded her story.

"The resistance had heard stories of strange happenings in those woods, but we believed them to be mere old wives' tales told to keep kids from going too deep into the woods" Candace-2 stated.

"Want to call in the troops now, Albert?" Monogram-1 inquired. After hearing Vanessa's story, Albert needed no further convincing to see the fact that the wand was here.

"I'd like to but calling Major Smith now would give us away. Let's wait until we get Phineas out, then we can consider it" Albert answered.

"Also, if any military start shooting up this place, Phineas may get caught in the crossfire" Candace-2 added.

"Quiet. We're here" Vanessa-2 indicated. She checked to see if the coast was clear and gestured for the group to come in. They could hear sounds of battle coming from outside, signalling to them that the animal agents had begun their diversion. It seemed to work, because Candace, Vanessa, Albert and Monogram were able to make it to the portal room without much difficulty. Inside they found Phineas, shaken but alive.

"Candace? How did you get here, and who are these guys?" Phineas-2 asked in disbelief.

"We had some help, and it's a long story" Candace-2 responded.

"We don't have time to play catch-up, let's just destroy this thing and get out of here" Monogram-1 urged. He begun planting ion charges supplied by the resistance onto various points on the portal, designed to fry its internal components, rendering any hope of fixing it impossible. "Charges set. We better go, now" Monogram-1 updated and the group made for their exit. They had just gotten to the entrance where they got in from when waiting for them was Doofenshmirtz, wand in hand.

"I was wondering when we'd meet again, Albert" Doofenshmirtz-2 taunted. To anyone else, this would've thrown them off. Albert had never met this Doofenshmirtz before, but he knew better.

"Am I talking to Doofenshmirtz, or Bill?" Albert probed.

"At this point, we're really one and the same now. Who knew the key to reclaiming my former glory was magic, and to think I'd wanted to waste my time with Norm-bots" Doofenshmirtz-2 clarified.

"Dad, can't you see what that wand is doing to you?" Vanessa-2 pleaded.

"Poor, naïve Vanessa. I'd known you'd had doubts for a while, yet I never thought you would lead my enemies here, especially the wand's previous owner. This is destiny" Doofenshmirtz-2 goaded. Now the group had concerns, especially Monogram, who never really trusted Albert.

"What is he talking about?" Monogram-1 quizzed.

"What? You mean he hasn't told you? Have you never wondered how he could know so much about Bill and his powers? This is rich" Doofenshmirtz-2 asked.

"That's not who I am anymore. That version of me died in the Nightmare Realm" Albert countered.

"Denial. I should've expected this much from you, 'Albert'. The wand has told me many stories about you and your Institute. Tell me, does your trusted XO know who you really are? Do your staff? Do those kids whose lives you always meddle in?" Doofenshmirtz-2 taunted again.

"My past is mine alone to live with. I can look back and regret what I was in my own time, but people need me to live in the present, with my new name and mission, which is getting rid of Bill wherever he shows himself" Albert resolved.

"You can run all you want, but you can't hide from what you once were, Lunaro. Recognize that this was once yours, and know that I have replaced you" Doofenshmirtz-2 said menacingly.

"That is not my name, anymore. Not now. Never again. Lunaro was a corrupted tyrant, much like what you are now, led astray with promises of power. He forgot himself, used a false name" Albert resolved.

"How is that any different from what you are now? Is it not true that Excalibur has eyes and ears everywhere in your dimension? Did your efforts to protect your world not result in total failure? Did you not take on another new identity as soon as you escaped the Nightmare Realm?" Doofenshmirtz-2 interrogated.

"It's true, despite all my efforts, the Cipher War did happen and the lives of all affected were changed forever. But we still beat Bill back and we always will, even if the battle becomes tiring, we will never stop and I will never stop atoning for my past mistakes" Albert promised.

"Perhaps you need a reminder of who you really are" Doofenshmirtz-2 suggested. He waved the wand and Albert felt a hot, painful sensation on his cheeks. It didn't take him long to realise that his worst fears were coming true right now. When the pain subsided, his cheeks bore the mark of a half-moon. The marks he thought were buried forever. "Let your inner Butterfly come out to play!" Doofenshmirtz-2 taunted yet again.

"OK, what is going on here?!" Candace-2 inquired.

"No time, just blow the charges" Vanessa-2 urged. Monogram hit the switch on the remote detonator, setting off the ion charges, destroying the portal Phineas was forced to build.

"You really should not have done that" Doofenshmirtz-2 scolded. He raised his wand at the group when Charlene came in from behind. She saw her husband raise his wand at Vanessa and decided enough was enough.

"Heinz! Stop this now!" Charlene-2 ordered. Doofenshmirtz turned around to see Charlene getting in between him and Vanessa.

"Charlene, Vanessa led those people here, helped them destroy my portal. She wants to see all this turn to dust" Doofenshmirtz-2 said.

"If Vanessa wanted to get rid of the wand since you first found it, I can now see why. The man I married would never raise a deadly weapon to his own daughter. Taking over the world is one thing, but that wand is making you turn it to ruin. Just let go" Charlene-2 begged. Doofenshmirtz thought this last bit over. It was true that he once saw Vanessa as his pride and joy and that her birth, along with his wedding to Charlene, were the only things in his life better than the day he took power. For a moment, it looked like Doofenshmirtz was coming around.

"Take it from someone who's used that wand, only bad things can come from it. Just put it down and let us take it back" Albert calmly requested. Doofenshmirtz seemed like he would comply, but he started struggling, like someone was trying to take control of him like a puppet. He tried to resist, but an accidental discharge from the wand hit Charlene square in the chest, sending her collapsing onto the floor.

"Mum!" Vanessa-2 screamed and ran to her side. Monogram checked her for signs of life. Regrettably, there weren't any.

"I'm sorry, Vanessa. She's gone" Monogram-1 said, mournfully. Vanessa was in shock. She now knew more than ever that the wand had to go. Doofenshmirtz, too, was equally as horrified.

"What have I done?" Doofenshmirtz-2 asked himself in utter disbelief. But there was little time to process this as the 'presence' inside the wand finally mustered enough strength to take full control.

"Finally. Do you know how long I've been waiting for this, teaching him spells I consider to be mere parlor tricks, having to hold back all this time?" came a voice Albert and Monogram knew all too well.

"Bill. Is there no end to your depravity?" Albert probed, rhetorically.

"You of all people should know by now how insane I am, and the lengths I'll go to get what I want. Doof here had the disposition but none of the gumption. He wouldn't go far enough, now the shackles are off" Billenshmirtz replied.

"You killed my mother" Vanessa-2 said, trying to contain her grief.

"One down, many more to go!" Billenshmirtz responded. He summoned a legion of nightmare beasts behind him. Before they had time to react, Candace let off a flash-bang, blinding Billenshmirtz and his beasts.

"That should hold them for a few seconds, come on" Candace-2 pressed and the group made their retreat back outside. Once clear, Candace called for resistance vehicles to come pick them up. As soon as they arrived, Candace, Albert and Monogram got into one that would drive in a random direction, while the vehicle containing Vanessa and Phineas would go back to resistance HQ, an old trick meant to confuse the enemy. A third vehicle picked up the Firestorm Girls from their makeshift command centre, while the animal agents that diverted the enemy retreated back underground, their task completed.

After their harrowing escape from Billenshmirtz's forces, Albert, Monogram and Candace drove until they found an old truck stop. Candace wasted no time in boarding up the doors and windows, while also prepping an escape route so she could reunite with the rest of the resistance.

"Did you see those nightmare beasts? There were dozens of them!" Monogram-1 exclaimed.

"I saw it all. If this doesn't convince Major Smith, I don't know what will" Albert assured.

"Good, the sooner we get military intervention, the better. I don't like our odds as they are" Candace-2 assessed. Albert got out his communicator, specially designed by Excalibur technicians to communicate with HQ via the device.

"Albert to Kilstone. We got what we came for, ready for immediate exfil" Albert briefed through the communicator, but all he could hear was static. He tried again. "Hello?" Static again. "Kilstone, this is not a time for joking around. We need to get out of here now" Still static. "Kilstone?" Yet more static. "Carl?" Nothing but static. "Calling Excalibur HQ, requesting immediate pickup, come on, let's go" Albert said, even more panicked. "Kilstone?" Nothing. "Brick?" Still nothing, panic immediately setting in. "Savannah?!" In a last-ditch effort to reach someone on the other side, Albert called out his last hope. "ANYBODY?!".

"I don't like the sound of this" Monogram-1 said, grimly.

"For some reason, I can't get a hold of Excalibur HQ. We're on our own" Albert informed.

Author's note: I have to be honest, this one took a while. I didn't feel comfortable with writing for a cross-over between Phineas and Ferb and SVTFOE with the latter's final season still airing. Regular readers will know that I like to stick to the show's canon as much as possible, while still taking creative liberties here and there. Then I realised that this is a fan story and the creators are not going to read this anytime soon and complain that I am not faithful to the source material. Also, shipping wise, I don't let established canon get in the way of telling the stories I want to tell with certain characters being romantically involved with each other. I mean, in my universe, Starco is a thing while in the show they're still taking their sweet time hooking up, if they ever do. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing. Dan and Swampy own Phineas and Ferb, Daron Nefcy owns SVTFOE and Disney owns both them and the shows. Enjoy!


	4. Alliance in doubt

**Alliance in doubt**

At Excalibur HQ, all hands were on deck to restore power to the portal so Kilstone could extract Albert and Monogram. While it was unfortunate that Earthguard had forced Kilstone's hand when it tried to seize control, he was also charged with the defence of Excalibur while Albert was away. In Kilstone's mind, he was sure Albert would've done the same had their positions been reversed, although this did not prevent Carl from flying into a rage once he found out that his boss was stranded in potentially hostile territory.

"Had your people held back and not brought Phineas and his friends here, our bosses would be back by now, but no, apparently children from the future warrants an abduction in broad daylight!" Carl-1 ranted.

"Need I remind you that it was one of your charges that built the damn thing to begin with. If you had simply let us monitor Phineas more closely, Earthguard would never have been an issue!" Kilstone countered.

"Oh, that's rich! According to Agent P's report, the only reason Phineas built Earthguard in the first place was because he didn't trust you people to protect us from Bill! Can't say I blame him, given your track record!" Carl-1 retorted.

"Bill caught us completely by surprise. He was able to strike all points of the globe simultaneously, with an army ten times the size of our strongest military, powered by a weaponised Murphy's Law, and we still managed to wrench the Earth from his grasp" Kilstone said.

"You mean Milo and his friends wrenched the Earth from Bill's grasp. Why is it the organisation that is supposed to protect the planet from threats like Bill is outsourcing their world-saving duties to children?" Carl-1 taunted.

"At least all my agents have opposable thumbs!" Kilstone jibed.

"Might want to keep it down. Wouldn't want the kindergardeners to hear the grown-ups fighting!" Carl-1 responded.

"GET OUT!" Kilstone demanded. At this point, Brick and Savannah walked in on the pair.

"Much as I hate to break up this lover's quarrel, Major Smith is waiting on the line for you, Kilstone" Brick briefed. Through the back-up power system, Excalibur was able to restore power to essential systems such as communications and sensors, but the system could not handle the power requirements the portal needed, otherwise they would've tied the portal to the back-ups and gotten Albert and Monogram out that way.

"This is not over" Kilstone concluded and left the room. He went into Albert's office and answered the call from Major Smith. As he always did, Major Smith appeared on-screen with his image blurred and blackened, as to obscure his true identity.

"Care to explain to me why HQ suddenly powered down, and why I am speaking to you instead of Albert?" Smith inquired. Even his voice sounded like someone giving testimony in court anonymously, with the voice sounding fake, but not as monotone.

"It's a long story, sir" Kilstone answered.

"Start from the beginning" Major Smith ordered.

In the Second Dimension, things weren't much better. Candace, who had agreed to help these strangers with the promise of military intervention to help topple Doofenshmirtz, has now just learned that said help would not be coming, Monogram was still getting to grips with the revelation that the man he had accompanied into hostile territory wasn't entirely who he said he was and Albert was faced with the frightening possibility that something may have happened to Excalibur while he was gone.

"What do you mean, we're on our own?" Monogram-1 inquired.

"I mean, I can't get a hold of anyone on the other side. Not Kilstone, not Brick and Savannah, not even Major Smith" Albert replied.

"Could something have happened on the other side?" Candace-2 probed.

"It's possible. The portal was tied into the main power system. If that went down for whatever reason, it would explain quite a bit. If that's the case, it may be some time before we hear from anyone at HQ again" Albert explained.

"What do we do now?" Monogram-1 asked.

"We need to get back to resistance HQ and formulate a new plan. Now that our help's not coming, we need all the assets we can scrounge together" Candace-2 suggested.

"That's a good place to begin. Which way?" Albert agreed.

"Not so fast, we have a bigger issue to deal with, 'Lunaro'. Did that wand really once belong to you? What was the real reason you came to this dimension?" Monogram-1 interrogated.

"Really? You think now's the best time to get into this?" Albert responded.

"I just want to make sure we're all here for the same reason" Monogram-1 affirmed.

"As much as I'd like to hear answers to these questions, I don't think now's the best time and place to have this conversation. Once we're back at HQ, we can have this talk" Candace-2 dismissed.

"Agreed. Once we're somewhere safe, I'll address any and all concerns you have about me and this mission" Albert assured.

"Fine, but this isn't over" Monogram-1 relented. Candace went to inspect the back door, which she left un-boarded in case they needed to make a quick get-away. After checking that the coast was clear, she ushered Albert and Monogram outwards and the three made their way to the nearest sewer grate. Going down this route wasn't glamourous, but it limited the time they spent out in the open, which was a bonus. Once underground, all seemed well enough, so Albert broke the ice.

"You know, it's a shame Milo isn't here. He could navigate these sewers with his eyes closed, even if this isn't his Danville" Albert said, hoping to break the tension that plagued the group since they got out of their hiding spot.

"I've never even heard of this kid. Is he what you would call 'resistance material'?" Candace-2 asked.

"Not particularly, but he is an expert at getting out of tight situations" Albert answered.

"Careful. We don't even know if this Danville has a Milo Murphy in it" Monogram-1 cautioned.

"Good point. You ever hear of Murphy's Law?" Albert inquired.

"Murphy's what now?" Candace-2 responded.

"Forget I said anything, then" Albert replied. After some time, they made it back to resistance HQ. Vanessa, Phineas and the Firestorm Girls, as well as Buford and Baljeet, were waiting for them.

"What kept you?" Vanessa-2 probed.

"We've encountered some problems" Candace-2 briefed.

At Excalibur HQ, Kilstone had just finished telling Major Smith the story of Earthguard, the inter-dimensional distress call they received, Albert and Monogram's quest to find Bill's wand and their current situation. Major Smith, understandably, was not pleased.

"So, let me see if I understand you correctly. A guardian defence program, from the future, came back in time and attacked the facility, necessitating a total shutdown of the base, trapping Albert and Monogram in a dimension where a fragment of Bill is supposedly taking refuge" Smith summarised.

"That's right, sir" Kilstone acknowledged.

"Just one small thing I don't understand, WHY AM I ONLY HEARING ABOUT THIS NOW?!" Major Smith demanded. This made Kilstone recoil in terror, if only slightly.

"In regards to Earthguard, it wasn't Bill-related so we were confident we could handle it ourselves. As for the wand, well, Albert wanted visual confirmation of the wand's presence before notifying you" Kilstone explained. Major Smith sighed in frustration.

"What is it we always say when it comes to even the slightest hint of Bill activity?" Smith asked.

"Never leave anything to chance, I know. The situation may require us to deploy our garrison and, as you know sir, that requires your authorisation" Kilstone answered.

"I am going to have a serious talk with Albert about keeping me in the loop when he and Monogram get back, and they will because re-activating that portal is now your top priority. Any other concerns at this point are secondary. Is that clear?" Smith ordered.

"Yes, sir. I'll make sure both men arrive intact" Kilstone said.

"Make my displeasure at this situation known to Albert when they get back and instruct him to call me the second he does" Smith outlined and closed the call. Carl, who had been listening in, was calmed at the prospect of Excalibur's highest power giving Monogram's retrieval their utmost urgency.

"And I thought my boss was demanding" Carl-1 remarked.

"You have no idea" Kilstone replied.

At resistance HQ, Monogram had just finished recounting the story of their mission to Baljeet and the others. Safe to say, they took to certain aspects of his story with a little scepticism.

"Like my counterpart, I too, have doubts about why you came here in the first place" Monogram-2 stated.

"Yes, I'm not surprised. News of my dark past tends to stir that emotion in people. Rest assured, that is not who I am now, hence the name change" Albert replied.

"And we're supposed to take your word for that? Billenshmirtz told us that wand used to belong to you" Monogram-1 observed.

"It did. I was desperate. Mewni was in a rough place, natural disasters, plagues, you name it. Just when it seemed like I couldn't lead my people to salvation, Bill came to me in a dream and offered me a lifeline" Albert explained.

"He gave you the wand" Candace-2 said.

"Yes, and a spellbook. I used both to restore Mewni to its former glory. Then, they started talking to me. I was weak and could not resist their corruption for long. So, I turned instruments of healing into weapons of war, shedding my identity as Lunaro the healer and forged a new one, Prince Jack" Albert admitted.

"How did it end, your campaign, was there a winner in this war?" Candace-2 inquired.

"I was betrayed from within. My closest advisors stole the book and relocated it to Earth, the Earth Monogram and I came from and left it under the guard of the natives for a thousand years. When Bill found out, he taunted me and 'sentenced' me to a thousand years as his plaything in his realm. It was there he told me the wand fled of its own accord" Albert concluded.

"That must have been difficult. I would not wish that on my worst enemy" Baljeet-2 said sympathetically.

"So, the wand fled here and was found a thousand years later by our Doofenshmirtz, and now, its former owner comes to our aid, seeking to, what, destroy it?" Buford-2 inquired.

"Impossible. Wands can only be destroyed by their wielders. We can contain it, as we did with Bill's petrified body" Albert clarified.

"If we re-establish contact with your Institute" Monogram-1 added.

"So, no help is coming?" Phineas-2 asked, with a hint of despair.

"Not necessarily. I've been thinking on the way here. Maybe we can ask someone else to help, people that have more experience with this sort of thing" Albert responded.

"We still have the portal device from when your dimension Phineas and Ferb were here. With a few modifications, we can use it to contact these people you mention" Baljeet-2 briefed.

"That's the other thing, they don't exactly like me very much" Albert stated.

"Why am I not surprised?" Monogram-1 interjected.

"Regardless, it is our only chance" Baljeet-2 countered.

"Don't worry, I can handle the Magic High Commission" Albert assured. This caused Baljeet to chuckle and snort in disbelief.

"I am sorry, who?" Baljeet-2 asked.

"That's what they're called. A group of beings whose responsibility it is to ensure magic doesn't fall into the wrong hands and the preservation of the Mewman kingdom" Albert explained.

"Bang up job they've done on the first bit" Vanessa-2 said with a hint of sass.

"You should say that to Hekapoo. I'd love to see her reaction" Albert suggested.

"OK, say for one second that I believe this 'Mewni' place and this 'High Commission' actually exists. What makes you think they will help us?" Baljeet-2 queried.

"They will, trust me. They want Bill gone just as much as we all do" Albert answered.

"It's a plan, at least" Phineas-2 said. Candace put her head in her hands out of disbelief.

"I can't believe it's come to this, asking fairy tale creatures for help" Candace-2 sighed.

"After everything you've seen here, is this really the most unbelievable thing ever?" Vanessa-2 asked.

"Good point" Candace-2 replied.

"Aren't we forgetting something? We were also discussing whether or not we can trust Albert, or Lunaro, or whoever you are" Monogram-1 reminded the group.

"I've been thinking about that since we left the castle and I honestly don't see a tyrannical former prince seeking to reclaim the object of his power. I see someone who came to our aid when we asked it of him and has been with us since the beginning. Whoever you were, whatever life you lived before, it's not who you are now" Candace-2 decided.

"Besides, who are we to judge? We all have skeletons in our closet. That doesn't mean we should let them define who we are in the present" Buford-2 added.

"I agree. If we start doubting ourselves, then Doofenshmirtz has already won" Phineas-2 reasoned.

"Albert didn't kill my mother, Billenshmirtz did. If he says we can contain the wand, who am I to doubt him? He knows that wand more than any of us do" Vanessa-2 argued. Monogram was surprised by the votes of confidence in someone they had only just met.

"Well, the others seem to trust you and I suppose Billenshmirtz is the real enemy here. But you said yourself that wand can tempt the weak-minded" Monogram-1 conceded.

"I swear to you I want nothing more to do with that thing ever again. All I want now is to put it somewhere it can't do any more harm" Albert promised.

"Good, that's settled. Now can we please get on with what we were doing?" Baljeet-2 pressed.

"Yes, we should. The portal should contact Mewni if we get the frequency right. Thankfully, I still remember it the last time we dealt with them" Albert responded. After being shown the portal, he fiddled around with some settings. Luckily, this portal was almost identical to the one back at HQ and had the same settings. Once he set it to the right frequency, the portal's communication settings were switched on.

"Mirror, mirror, calling Queen Moon. Are you there?" Albert called into the mike. Static, followed by a recorded message answered.

"Welcome to ReflectaCorp mirror customer service. We regret to inform you that the caller, Queen Moon, is unable to come to the mirror right now. Please hold and a customer service representative will be in touch as soon as possible" the message said and elevator music played in the background. Albert and Monogram were annoyed at this development, whereas Buford could not stop laughing.

"Even the magic mirrors put you on hold! Ha, ha, ha!" Buford-2 chuckled.

"Let me try something else. Mirror, mirror, calling the Queen of Mewni" Albert tried again.

In the monster temple, Queen Eclipsa was putting her baby daughter Meteora down for the night. She was telling her about the time that Butterfly Castle was attacked by the king of nightmares as a bed-time story.

"And so, the valiant heroes from two different worlds destroyed the nightmare king's cursed book, banishing him back to the land of the vanquished, his willing pawn was sealed away, and everybody lived happily ever after. The end" Eclipsa recited. With the story's conclusion, Meteora was finally asleep. Eclipsa wished her sweet dreams and made to get herself ready to turn in. When she faced her dressing room mirror, she found it showing static, as if someone was trying to call the castle. Her transition team was still ironing out the kinks with this new model, but after flagging the issue, it did not take them long to fix it and answer the mystery call. She recognised one of the faces staring back at her through the mirror as the captain of that institute Star told her about, and more recently, one of the beings from Earth who helped defend Butterfly Castle from Bill-Toffee, but the others were unfamiliar to her.

"Can I assist you, or is this a social call?" Eclipsa inquired.

"You actually got through to somebody? Guess Mewni really does exist" Baljeet-2 observed.

"I assure you, we're quite real. Now what is the purpose of this call?" Eclipsa half asked, half demanded.

"I need you to get a message to the High Commission, Your Highness. Tell them we've found Bill's wand" Albert requested. Eclipsa paused in thought for a moment.

"Are you sure it's the genuine article?" Eclipsa probed.

"I've seen it. That wand was definitely the same one that was used by….Lunaro, by me in Mewni's past" Albert answered. Eclipsa could not believe what she was hearing. She had heard from her mother, Solaria, about Lunaro and his campaign against monster-kind. Solaria was an admirer of Lunaro and modelled many of her spells after his exploits. Then she remembered that for the longest time, she also thought Bill Cipher was just a fairy tale and was also proven wrong on that front.

"I see, well I can pass along the message for you, but I cannot guarantee that they'll come running. You see, the High Commission isn't too fond of me, either" Eclipsa informed.

"If it'll help twist their arms, could you please also tell them that I am collecting on an old debt. My institute helped defend Butterfly Castle, so in a sense, they owe me" Albert added.

"I have one stipulation. I want to come, too. This wand represents a potential threat to my kingdom and, as Queen, it is my duty to ensure it is dealt with and the safety and welfare of my people is looked after" Eclipsa bargained.

"You have to admire her sense of duty" Candace-2 praised.

"Agreed. Please pass along the message" Albert accepted her terms.

"I'll call back when I've spoken to them" Eclipsa stated and the call was terminated. Some time later, a portal made of fire opened up in the middle of HQ, and out popped Hekapoo, Rhombulus, Omnitraxus and Eclipsa.

"I'm guessing they didn't need much convincing" Albert remarked. Hekapoo approached him with bitter venom in her eyes.

"After this, we're even" Hekapoo seethed.

"What she said!" Rhombulus added.

"Wow, they really don't like you" Monogram-1 observed.

"It's complicated" Albert replied.

Author's note: Alright, because I'm done stressing about including the Magic High Commission despite not knowing their final fate come the end of the show, I've decided to set this fic in between Seasons 3 and 4. Also, since I know the absolute abundance of SVTFOE OCs there are, I would like to assure readers that if there are any designs named Lunaro and Sunflare, that the similarities are entirely coincidental. I don't plagiarise, I'm not Filip Miucin. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing, Dan and Swampy own Phineas and Ferb, Daron Nefcy owns SVTFOE and Disney owns both. Enjoy.


	5. Tower defence

**Tower defence**

In the resistance HQ, everyone was still in awe of the Magical High Commission. A lot of questions were on everyone's minds, but right now, formulating a plan to take the wand from Billenshmirtz trumped any lingering curiosities anyone had. After having been brought up to speed by Candace, the High Commission had new insights to offer the freedom fighters.

"The wand is capable of independent interdimensional travel, but it cannot bring anyone else along with it. That's why your Doofenshmirtz needed the portal" Hekapoo explained.

"But now that you've smashed it to bits and liberated one of the only people in this dimension that could build one, it is likely the wand will tell him to seek out 'sensitive spots' in this reality where a new portal could be made magically" Omnitraxus added.

"Sensitive spots?" Baljeet-2 asked.

"When you travel between dimensions, you make a sort of hole in the walls between realities. Too many holes or make one hole too big and the two dimensions come together. My dimensional scissors not only make these holes, but also close them up afterwards, making interdimensional travel safe" Hekapoo clarified.

"But whenever a hole is closed, the area in which it was made becomes sensitive. Cut another hole in that area and it will be bigger. It's kind of like continuously poking your finger through a hole in your clothes" Rhombulus interjected.

"So, Billenshmirtz can magically create another hole in the area the wand was found in?" Vanessa-2 guessed.

"No, over time, the sensitivity goes away. A thousand years is more than enough time for the wound not only to heal but for any sensitivity to dissipate as well. However, more recent entries into this reality would be more than susceptible to magic portal creation" Omnitraxus answered.

"In that case, Billenshmirtz will probably try and create a portal in the same area Monogram and I came in from. We should move to defend that area if he's going to be there" Albert suggested.

"No, that's too obscure a location. If some part of our Doofenshmirtz is still in there, he'll be more inclined to make a show of his conquest. He'll want to go for the Site of First Contact" Candace-2 remarked.

"You mean where our Phineas and Ferb first travelled to this dimension? But that was over a year ago. Would it still be sensitive?" Monogram-1 inquired.

"Holes may close instantly, but the sensitivity they leave behind takes years to dissipate. This 'Site of First Contact' is also a viable location for him to go" Omnitraxus replied.

"It also makes the most tactical sense. From that place, he can disperse his forces over a wider area, attack the populace with little to no warning and make a statement all at the same time" Monogram-2 stated.

"Good thing the tower's defended, then. Since the Doofenshmirtz family escaped, we've been using that place as a research outpost looking into interdimensional travel" Candace-2 said.

"Then Billenshmirtz will have to take what forces he has left and attack the tower head-on. We can be there, waiting for him, and we'll have surprises waiting" Carl-2 outlined.

"Taking the wand from him won't be easy" Albert warned.

"Leave that part to us" Eclipsa volunteered.

"Then it's a plan?" Isabella-2 probed.

"It's a plan, but if any of you see Billenshmirtz, run, take cover and let the magic people handle him. Once they wrench the wand off him, then we can step in" Candace-2 instructed the resistance fighters.

"Understood. We can provide support when needed, and we'll co-ordinate between the O.W.C.A. teams and our other-dimension allies" Isabella-2 responded.

At the castle, Billenshmirtz was talking to himself yet again. It was probably a good thing no human was left with him, as they probably would think he was mad, well, madder than usual. It was more than that, though. Although Bill had succeeded in taking control of Doofenshmirtz's body, after the death of Charlene, Doofenshmirtz's mind started putting up more of a fight than it usually did. It was getting harder and harder for the bit of Bill that resided in the wand to maintain control. Billenshmirtz was in front of a mirror, confronting Doofenshmirtz mentally.

"It's too late to turn back, now. You kept my little gift for far too long. I gave you your Tri-State Area back under your control, and now you want out?" Billenshmirtz interrogated.

"You killed my wife, alienated my daughter and utterly destroyed my utopia. That was not part of the bargain!" Doofenshmirtz-2 rebuffed.

"The deal was off the moment you let the portal get destroyed. Since you couldn't get the job done, I had to step in. Casualties are unavoidable in war" Billenshmirtz countered.

"My daughter was right about you. There's evil, then there's whatever you are!" Doofenshmirtz-2 realised.

"Oh, you wound me. I think I'll need to take out my feelings on your old tower. The right spell there should cause quite the spectacle" Billenshmirtz taunted.

"You still want to conquer the other side? Is this not enough for you?" Doofenshmirtz-2 probed

"No, not where revenge is concerned" Billenshmirtz answered.

"So that's it. This isn't about ruling new lands, it's about vengeance against those that defeated you, and would probably beat you again" Doofenshmirtz-2 retorted.

"I tire of this conversation" Billenshmirtz responded and smashed the mirror with a blast from his wand. He gathered his forces and made for Doofenshmirtz's old tower.

Albert, Monogram, Eclipsa and the resistance fighters were all on transports en route to Doofenshmirtz's old tower. The High Commission had already gone on ahead via one of Hekapoo's portals to warn the garrison of the coming attack, so they could evacuate the non-combatants and prepare defences.

"So, what are we going to do with it?" Eclipsa wondered.

"With the wand? Hopefully contain it so others can never use it, whether that be in one of Rhombulus' crystals, in a vault back at Excalibur or one of Omni's pocket dimensions" Albert answered.

"But this wand can think and act of its own accord. I fear containing it may not be possible" Eclipsa doubted.

"Destroying it's totally impossible. Only Bill can do that, and I can't see anyone convincing him to do such a thing" Albert re-iterated.

"But what if he was made to. I have spells that can control the mind" Eclipsa suggested.

"Then you'd be no better than he is. Besides, Bill would resist. He has billions of years of experience in mind-play. I fear he'd repel you quite easily, no offence" Albert shot down.

"None taken, I've read and heard about how powerful he is. It was just a suggestion" Eclipsa relented. She decided to change the topic of conversation in a bid to ease tensions before the coming conflict. "You know, Star told me stories about Danville. I must admit, I was curious to see it for myself, but I didn't think it would be like this" Eclipsa stated.

"Trust me, our Danville's much nicer than this" Monogram-1 replied.

"She especially told me about the wizardling boys called Phineas and Ferb, and the miracles they pull off every day" Eclipsa added. This made Monogram laugh.

"I think Star's exaggerating on that point. Our Phineas and Ferb aren't magical in any way. They're just kids with very active imaginations and an overwhelming urge to make the most of every day" Albert corrected.

"Well, magic is subjective. Not all magic comes from spells and sorcery. Building the seemingly impossible on a daily basis can be seen as magic to some people" Eclipsa postulated.

"Maybe when this is over, you'd like to check out their inventions for yourself. They're quite wonderous" Albert invited.

"Maybe, when I can catch a break from royal duties" Eclipsa considered. They arrived at the tower, which was already standing at full battle readiness. The High Commission's warnings were heeded and the non-combatants were evacuated promptly. Greeting the transports as they arrived was Jeremy Johnson.

"We got your message in time, although I didn't expect it to be relayed by storybook characters. How big a force can we expect?" Jeremy-2 queried.

"A massive one. Don't worry, all available O.W.C.A. agents have been assigned to defend this area" Candace-2 assured.

"We've activated our defences, turrets, laser fences, the works. But against a force that size, a breach is inevitable, especially against someone of 'Billenshmirtz's' abilities" Johnson briefed. From the tone of his voice, he had trouble believing what was happening.

"Do not engage Billenshmirtz directly. He's too dangerous. Leave him to Eclipsa and the High Commission. They know what to do" Albert instructed.

"Understood" Jeremy-2 acknowledged and left to finalize the defence plans. Both Monograms, Carl, Candace, Vanessa and the resistance fighters went with him, leaving Albert alone with Eclipsa.

"So, I know why the High Commission hates me, why do they hate you?" Albert wondered.

"Long story, short version is I married and had a daughter with a monster" Eclipsa answered. This surprised Albert. When he assumed the identity of Prince Jack, he waged a genocidal war against monster-kind. He never thought for one second that a reigning monarch would have relations with a monster to such a degree, such a thing was considered taboo.

"I suppose there are worse ways to earn their ire" Albert commented.

"It was worth it, though. The mewman they had me wed was, what Star's boyfriend Marco would call, an utter dou-" Eclipsa said.

"I get it, he wasn't the best" Albert interrupted. Eclipsa chuckled.

"You should see Meteora, she has her daddy's tail and fangs. She really is adorable" Eclipsa offered.

"Would that be appropriate? I did use Bill's 'gifts' to slaughter their kind. Wouldn't her father object to me even being in Mewni?" Albert probed.

"Firstly, her father is in crystal stasis. Second, that was a thousand years ago. I doubt anyone even remembers you" Eclipsa listed.

"Moon certainly did" Albert remembered.

"She, like me, was taught about you because of her royal heritage. Don't take it personally, history often has a very coloured view of the past" Eclipsa explained.

"So I've noticed on Earth as well" Albert observed.

"There is one thing that's been on my mind since I came here. Does the wand talk to you? Is it trying to tempt you to wield it again?" Eclipsa asked.

"Not anymore. Bill has his latest pawn. That wand holds no allure for me anymore" Albert resolved.

"You know, the High Commission does have an inclination to put you in a crystal if they ever saw you again. It has been like that for a thousand years, since their creation. It took quite a bit of arm-twisting from me to dissuade them" Eclipsa explained.

"I'm surprised they listened to you, considering they hate you as much as me" Albert remarked.

"I was able to convince them that Bill was the bigger threat, much like Moon was able to do the same when he used Toffee to attack the castle" Eclipsa responded.

"I take it Rhombulus is a big fan of the 'crystallisation' routine?" Albert inquired.

"He sure is" Eclipsa answered.

"Has Rhombulus imprisoned anyone innocent?" Albert wondered.

"Yes, me" Eclipsa answered. They both laughed at this, until they spotted Billenshmirtz and his forces closing in.

"They're here. You should join the Commission" Albert advised. Eclipsa left to join Omnitraxus, Rhombulus and Hekapoo, while Albert went to join the resistance fighters. The technological defences had been enabled, while Eclipsa and Omnitraxus put up magical barricades.

"Force fields and blast doors are on standby. We'll be ready in the event of a breach" Monogram-2 briefed.

"And the garrison?" Albert inquired.

"At full battle readiness, albeit a bit nervous" Monogram-2 replied.

"Good. Bill's going to have to fight to get in here" Albert acknowledged.

"Can I ask you a serious question?" Monogram-2 queried. Albert nodded. "What good will all this be against him?" Monogram-2 probed.

"Very little. Why do you think I've delegated dealing with Billenshmirtz to Eclipsa and the Commission?" Albert answered. This answer, while expected, made Monogram nervous. Both of them left to join their respective groups. But when Albert was alone in a corridor, he heard a familiar voice.

"I don't recall you ever getting this nervous before a major battle" stated the voice coming from behind Albert. He turned around to find Glossaryck surveying the scene unfolding.

"You know, I should be mad at you for conspiring with my advisors to depose me, but that was another life. I'm not the same person you knew anymore" Albert said with certainty.

"Obviously, although it's hard to keep track of who you are these days when you take on identity after identity, use name after name. It gets very confusing" Glossaryck observed.

"Have you been spying on me?" Albert asked.

"I've got to have something to do in my spare time and it is gratifying to see you've settled on a name and purpose, although, right now, I'm having difficulty telling who I'm seeing before me now" Glossaryck pointed out.

"I am Albert, captain of Excalibur" Albert replied.

"Really? The cheek marks say otherwise, Lunaro" Glossaryck countered.

"They do not identify me. That is not who I am now" Albert rebutted.

"Quite the contrary. Lunaro is who you are, as is Prince Jack, as is Captain Albert" Glossaryck lectured.

"You're not making any sense" Albert stated, with a hint of frustration.

"I wasn't aware I had to make sense. Look, I can make this clearer for you. All you need to do is step into my eyeball" Glossaryck offered.

"This isn't the time. The resistance, Eclipsa and the Commission need me" Albert rebuffed.

"I think they can do without you for a few minutes" Glossaryck said and soon enough, Albert was sucked into Glossaryck's eye, not a pleasant experience to be sure.

Back at the tower, the nightmare army had finally arrived, but found themselves unable to make so much as a dent in Omnitraxus' shield. The beasts bashed themselves against it, but all that did was tickle Omni. Billenshmirtz had given a halt order and fired a destructive burst of magic at him. This caused Omni to shrink in size to his usual bipedal form. It was at that moment Eclipsa and the rest of the Commission stepped in to help.

"So it begins" Monogram-1 remarked. His counterpart gave the order to start internal and external defences. The turrets were firing on the beasts, cutting them down with ease, until they started climbing the turret towers. Perry, with his cybernetic enhancements, flew around to shove them off. The other O.W.C.A. agents were on the ground as well as half the resistance forces, the other half deployed to internal defence. All had orders not to engage Billenshmirtz, that was left to the magical forces.

Eclipsa and the Commission engaged Billenshmirtz, keeping him occupied so that the non-magical forces only had the beasts to deal with. Eclipsa fired off bursts of 'Midnight Shriek' and 'Velvet Inferno' at him, but he seemed to defend those with ease. Rhombulus fired off crystal shards, hoping to pin him down, but a simple shield spell stopped that idea. Omni then had the brilliant idea of grabbing him and holding him in place long enough to get the wand, but Billenshmirtz managed to get off a shearing spell that would've taken a normal person's limb clean off. Luckily, Omni's body was not made of flesh and blood and the wound was healed in seconds, but Billenshmirtz had wriggled free. Hekapoo and the clones she summoned surrounded and pounced on him, only for Billenshmirtz to unleash a shockwave that dissipated the clones and sent the real Hekapoo flying.

"This is going to be tough. It's like fighting a Butterfly" Hekapoo observed, as she portalled herself out of the way of another curse shot at her. Billenshmirtz had summoned a sword made of magic and swung it at Rhombulus, only for him to catch it with his snake hands.

"Don't worry, I got him" Rhombulus assured. He let go with one hand, crystallised the end of it and smacked Billenshmirtz, sending him flying backwards. Momentarily stunned, Eclipsa took the opportunity to make sure he couldn't get back up. She shot a spider-web spell at his body, pinning him down. Hekapoo then jabbed at his wand hand with her scissors, causing him to drop his weapon and Omni kicked it away, leaving Billenshmirtz unarmed and defenceless. He struggled to get free, to no avail.

"And you all thought this would be difficult" Eclipsa bragged.

"Now what do we do with him?" Omnitraxus wondered.

"Just seal him away and end this madness" Rhombulus suggested. He began to crystalise Billenshmirtz when the wand flew toward his hand. He broke free, shattered what little crystal prison Rhombulus had conjured and was back up for round two.

"When will the three of you learn? You can't contain me. You can't destroy me. Free or seal away my pawns and I just keep coming. Soon your magic will fail you, your bodies will tire. I am eternal!" Billenshmirtz ranted. He let off another shockwave, which Hekapoo portalled away from, Rhombulus and Omni braced themselves and Eclipsa defended with a shield spell of her own.

"Not good" Eclipsa remarked.

In Glossaryck's eye dimension, Albert found himself at a table, but apart from him and Glossaryck, there was no-one else there. There were seats at the table for other people, but the place was empty.

"Come, sit. Make yourself comfortable. The others will be here soon" Glossaryck beckoned.

"In case you hadn't noticed, there's a pitched battle going on right now that needs my attention. I don't have time for your games!" Albert urged.

"This isn't a game room, it's a meeting room. I thought you'd be able to tell the difference" Glossaryck stated.

"Why did you even bring me here anyway?" Albert inquired.

"To help you find yourself" Glossaryck answered. The door to the left opened and through it walked a familiar figure. Albert recognised it as himself, but he resembled Lunaro the Healer more than it did Albert. The door to the right opened and through that one walked Prince Jack. "Ah, right on time, gentlemen. Shall we begin?" Glossaryck said.

"What is going on here?!" Albert demanded.

"Like I said, we're here to help you find yourself" Glossaryck re-affirmed.

"Those beings you brought here are past lives. I am not these people anymore. I've moved on, so should you" Albert pressed.

"These beings are, have been and always will be, you. You, who have spent your current life running away from your past only to have it catch up with you. You have to stop, accept what you were and embrace what you can be" Glossaryck explained.

"You despaired and turned to another for help, because you were weak, incomplete" Lunaro said, his voice taking a spectral tone.

"He gave you power, and you lost it, because you were weak and incomplete" Prince Jack added, also with a spectral tone.

"Even now, in your current life you turn to others to do the fighting for you. Such weakness. The three must become one, or he will win" Lunaro urged.

"What do you mean?" Albert probed.

"You must become complete to release your strength. Your power is fractured, broken, your magic has faded" Jack answered.

"I didn't want to use magic anymore, not after what you-no, what I did" Albert replied.

"You forget the good you did with magic? You were a saviour, a healer of the sick. You brought relief to those stricken by disaster. Would you so easily cast that aside?" Lunaro pressed.

"I used Bill's gifts to do all those things. I wasn't strong enough to help my people on my own" Albert responded.

"And so, the ultimate teacher has taught their final lesson. Failure made you into what you are now, but it has also shattered you at your core" Jack explained.

"It is not too late. You can always bounce back from failure. Accept your past, save your present and fight for your future. The three must become one" Lunaro added. Albert found all this hard to take in all at once. His past selves were all here, judging him. But in his heart, they all had good points. He could not forget the relief he brought his people from their suffering as Lunaro, but he also could not forget the hardships he inflicted on the monster race in his bid for power as Prince Jack. He started to realise that both his past lives had gifts as well as curses.

"The gift of kindness I got from Lunaro, and the gift of strength I got from Jack. I thought them lost. I ask now that they be returned to me, so I may save the ones I fight for" Albert requested. Lunaro held out his hand, as did Prince Jack.

"Your gifts never left, you just forgot they were there" Lunaro responded.

"Neither have your curses. You must learn to accept both to be truly whole" Jack added. Albert took their hands and the spectral forms of Lunaro and Jack walked into him and faded. Albert found himself transformed, physically and mentally. For the first time since his escape from the Nightmare Dimension, he felt whole again. Not only that, he had grown wings and his clothes were different too, his military-style uniform changed into a wizard robe look.

"Well, I must say I'm impressed. Thought we'd be here all day" Glossaryck praised.

"If you don't mind, Glossaryck, my friends need my help right now" Albert replied.

"Of course, exit's that way" Glossaryck directed. Albert left via the exit door that just appeared, ready to take on Billenshmirtz with his new form.

In the tower, the beasts had fought their way past the outer defence and had breached the building. The turrets were gone, and what remained of the ground defence fell back inside. The force fields and blast doors were holding, but barely. Just as it seemed like all hope was lost, an eyeball appeared out of no-where and out of the pupil came Albert, although he looked different.

"I could've gone my entire life without seeing that and had been better off" Monogram-1 remarked in disgust. As soon as the beasts breached their way through, Albert shot out a shockwave from his hands and dispelled them with ease. He flew out the window, looked down at the masses of nightmares below and cast a very powerful spell.

"Trembling Earth!" Albert incanted and the ground shook, opening up a chasm in which all the beasts fell. Monogram could not help but be impressed.

"You couldn't have opened with that" Monogram-1 said with a hint of sass.

"Where's Billenshmirtz?" Albert asked, to which Monogram pointed in his direction. Albert flew off to meet him.

Eclipsa and the Commission were exhausted from the battle. Eclipsa let off wave after wave of magic, but Billenshmirtz just shielded them all. Rhombulus' crystals were getting weaker and easier to shatter, Omni was also getting smaller in size while Hekapoo's flame was almost out.

"Awwwww, what's wrong? Giving up already?" Billenshmirtz taunted. The group was struggling to stand. "Enough, let's finish this" Billenshmirtz resolved and raised the wand to deal the finishing blow. Albert just reached them in time.

"Bitter Blizzard Ice Shard" Albert incanted and an icicle shot out of his hand and hit Billenshmirtz's hand. He dropped the wand and was shocked at the sight he was beholding.

"What the – where did you come from?!" Billenshmirtz demanded.

"Why don't you pick on those that can fight back, Bill!" Albert responded.

"Don't mind if I do!" Billenshmirtz yelled and summoned his wand to his hand again, only for Albert to knock him back with another spell.

"Raging Tempest" sent strong winds in Billenshmirtz's direction. That combined with lightning strikes disarmed him yet again. He reached for it again, only for "Rushing Rain Storm" to wash it away again. A "Solar Sun Flash" later momentarily blinded Billenshmirtz, enough for the wand to be forced away by Omni. Eclipsa and the Commission got their strength back from Albert's healing spells and they had Billenshmirtz pinned down once and for all. A dis-spelling charm from Albert extracted the bit of Bill that resided in Doofenshmirtz and sent it back into the wand. But as soon as anyone could grab it, the wand floated in mid-air and spoke with a booming voice.

"You can have this round!" Bill's voice concluded. It summoned a portal, but it was one Albert knew, as he had seen it once before, an orange portal with white borders. The wand went through and as soon as it did, any remaining nightmare beasts disappeared and the world was restored to its green self, all traces of Bill's occupation vanished like magic. The resistance could not believe it, but had no trouble declaring a victory all the same. Before anyone could celebrate, Doofenshmirtz got up, exhausted from the battle.

"He's gone. I'm finally free" Doofenshmirtz-2 said with glee. Almost on cue, transports had arrived. Out of them came Ferb, as well as armed guards. Vanessa came rushing to meet them, as well as the other resistance fighters.

"May I introduce the UN Military Tribunal. They're here to arrest and try you for crimes against humanity" Ferb-2 pointed out. The guards seized Doofenshmirtz and loaded him into a prison transport.

"Busted" Candace-2 observed with great satisfaction. Phineas saw his brother and hugged him on impulse.

"So this is what you've been doing while you were out of the Tri-State Area" Phineas-2 realised.

"What, you thought I was only helping Phineas while I was with my dad? I was leaking information to world governments in secret. I just needed Ferb to alert Washington. Once he did, getting the UN involved was easy" Vanessa-2 summarised.

"We have to admit, a magic-powered Doofenshmirtz was hard to believe at first. But once Ferb showed us the footage he captured, as well as gave a lengthy testimony, we wasted no time in organising a raid. But it seems you handled things yourselves, so congratulations on a victory well-earned" said the UN envoy. They left with Doofenshmirtz in tow.

Back with Eclipsa and the Commission, Albert had transformed back into the Excalibur captain he was familiar with, his battle with Billenshmirtz leaving the Commission speechless.

"Well, I have to say you really came through for us. Thank you" Hekapoo acknowledged.

"It's not over yet. I know where the wand went, to the Uncharted Realms. If we don't pursue it there, this could all happen again somewhere else" Albert pressed.

"You can't honestly be thinking about going there!" Rhombulus said with a hint of distress.

"The Uncharted Realms have almost never been visited by Mewmans, and those that did go there and returned said they worked in ways hitherto unheard of. Pursuing the wand there would be madness" Omnitraxus added.

"So is letting the wand corrupt another into doing Bill's dirty work. We have to secure it" Albert rebuffed.

"I say let him go. That way, we square off our debt to him and we might never see him again. Everybody wins" Hekapoo suggested.

"Fine by me, my crystal dimension was getting crowded anyway" Rhombulus agreed.

"Your concern is touching, really" Albert replied sarcastically. He transformed again and flew towards the tower. Once he arrived, the interdimensional communicator had sparked to life.

"Kilstone to Albert, are you receiving me?" Kilstone inquired from the communicator. Albert had almost completely forgotten the fact that he lost contact with Excalibur. It would seem Kilstone had restored communications on the other end.

"I hear you. Tell the garrison to stand down. The situation is green here" Albert responded.

"Understood. Can we expect your arrival? Major Smith has been asking about you" Kilstone asked.

"Standby" Albert replied. He really should get back to Excalibur, he had been away some time. On the other hand, he felt like it was his responsibility to track down the wand, wherever it went. Monogram had approached him, knowing what path he would choose.

"I know you, you're going after the wand, aren't you?" Monogram-1 probed.

"It's my burden to bear, seeing as it was once mine" Albert replied.

"Well, I never leave a mission unfinished, so I guess I'm tagging along" Monogram-1 volunteered.

"So am I" came a voice from behind. It was Vanessa.

"I can't ask you to do this. Monogram, you have O.W.C.A. and Vanessa, you have a life here" Albert said.

"I think our organisations can handle themselves without us, at least for a while longer. Kilstone is capable, as is Carl, they'll be fine" Monogram-1 justified.

"Besides, I'm an orphan now, and you helped me out in so many ways. Helping you is the least I can do" Vanessa-2 added. Albert could see there was no talking them out of this, so he agreed to let them accompany him. He addressed Kilstone again over the comms.

"Kilstone, you're in charge of Excalibur a while longer and tell Carl the same of O.W.C.A. We'll be back as soon as the wand is no longer a threat to this or any other dimension. Put that in the report to Major Smith. I'm sure he'll understand" Albert concluded. The comms went silent. Baljeet was done with the modifications to the portal.

"This should get you where you need to go" Baljeet-2 briefed and switched the portal on. The same portal that the wand went through appeared, and Albert, Monogram and Vanessa went through, to parts unknown.

Author's note: This. Was. Frustrating. If I had known how hard it was to write epic battles, I would've stuck to fluff pieces. I hope I did well, because it isn't my favourite thing to write. Nevertheless, this story is finished, and eagle-eyed readers will probably know where the overall story of the Cipherverse will be going next. I think I just made half of this up as I went along, I really wanted to get on the next story. At least now I can get into the planning stages. The usual disclaimer, I own nothing. Dan and Swampy own Phineas and Ferb, Daron Nefcy owns SVTFOE and Disney owns both. Enjoy. Now for the post-note scene, as I like to call these snippets at the end of a story:

She was walking through the cemetery, as she often did at the cusp of the evening. She did not fear getting lost, as she knew the cemetery like the back of her hand. Even blindfolded, she could find her way around. Only this time, she heard whispering coming from one of the crypts. She went to investigate, the whispering getting louder as she approached the crypt. When she stopped, she found something that looked like a wand on the central plinth. The whispering got louder, tempting her to pick it up. She did so and waved it a few times, egged on by the unknown whispers. As she waved, she noticed the trees outside moving their branches in time with the motion. To check for coincidence, she waved the wand again. Again, the tree branches moved. She eyed the object, a grin on her face, eager at the prospect of doing real magic.

"Wicked" remarked Lucy Loud, oblivious to the laughter echoing from the wand.


End file.
